Here are three similar contracts that were signed last season. The NHL investigated each contract, before eventually approving both. The league cited that it could not prove that the contracts were not agreed to upon in good faith.

As one poster noted below, Pronger's deal did not kick in until he was 35, which imposes the "35-and Older Clause" of the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement.

"When a player age 35 or older signs a multi-year contract, his average salary is counted against the team's salary cap during every year of the contract, even if the player retires before the contract is up."